Retractable clothes line support



April 6, 1965 A. E. MUELLER 3,176,851

RETRACTABLE CLOTHES LINE SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 1, 1962 INVENTOR.

ALLAN E MUELLER WMM 3 A-r'roRA/Em April 6, 1965 A. E. MUELLER RETRACTABLE CLOTHES LINE SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALLAN E. MUELLER BY WW ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,176,851 RETRACTABLE CLOTHES LINE SUPPORT Allan E. Mueller, Arlington, Minn. Filed Aug. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 213,948 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-11915) This invention relates generally to adjustable supporting devices, and more particularly it relates to a retractable clothes line support adapted for securement to an overhead supporting structure.

Clothes line supports adapted for securement to basement ceiling joists or other overhead supporting structures have found considerable use; however, in order to save space and provide an improved appearance for other reasons, it is desirable to provide an improved clothes line support which is retractable from a generally vertical depending position with respect to said fixed supporting structure to an alternative position in more closely spaced relationship to said fixed supporting structure.

An important object of this invention is the provision of a retractable clothes line support which may be quickly moved between its depending generally vertical position and its retracted position with relative ease.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a retractable clothes line supporft which may be easily installed with comparative ease, particularly on a fixed overhead supporting structure in the nature of existing and exposed ceiling joists.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a retractable clothes line support which is easily adjustable for attachment to overhead supporting structures having various and differently spaced portions adaptable and suitable for the attachment of such devices.

Other objects of this invention reside in the provision of a retractable clothes line support which is simple but durable in construction, which provides a convenient assembly lending itself to economical production, and which is extremely eflicient in providing satisfactory fulfillment of its objects and purposes.

The above and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed specification, appended claim and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts or elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation showing the novel clothes line support comprising the present invention,

some parts being broken away, and alternative positions of other parts being shown by dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is a view in section taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1, some parts being broken away;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a View corresponding to FIG. 2, but showing a modified embodiment of this invention.

As previously noted, the present invention is adapted for use in cooperation with fixed supporting structure, an illustration of which is shown in the drawings, and has a plurality of generally parallel laterally spaced ceiling joists, each of which is represented generally by the reference numeral 1. The ceiling joists 1 each define a bottom surface 2 and opposed side surfaces 3. The retractable clothes line support disclosed herein comprises a pair of cooperating generally U-shaped hanger bars, each of which is represented generally by the reference numeral 4, 4a, respectively. Each of the hanger bars 4, 4a defines an elongated generally horizontal intermediate portion 5 and upturned opposite end portions 6.

The intermediate portion 5 of each of the hanger bars 4, 40 comprises a pair of generally tubular end sections 7 3,176,851 Patented Apr. 6, 1965 which are each secured to a different one of the upturned end portions 6. According to present practices, the end sections 7 are formed in the nature of an elbow with the adjacent end portions 6, as shown particularly in FIG. 2. Each of the hanger bars 4, 4a further comprises an elongated connecting bar section 8 which is disposed with its opposite end portions 9 telescopingly and adjustably received in the tubular end sections 7. In order to provide an adjustment for the width of the hanger bars 4, 4a, securement means is included for fixing the connecting bar section 8 in difierent positions relative to the tubular end sections 7. As illustrated in the drawings, the connecting bar section 8 defines a plurality of spaced generally diametrically extending bores which are adapted for alignment with a plurality of spaced apertures defined in the end sections 7. Obviously, the bores of the connecting bar section 8 are adapted for alignment with the corresponding apertures of the end section 7 so as to provide the desired width of hanger bar 4, and thereafter suitable fasteners 10 are employed to secure the connecting bar section 8 in the desired position.

As shown particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of brackets, each represented generally by the reference numeral 11, are provided for mounting the upturned end portions 6 of each of the hanger bars 4, 4a to the ceiling joists 1. One of the brackets 11 is shown in detail in FIG. 3, the same comprising a screw threaded spindle 12 rigidly secured to the side flange 13 of an angle portion of the bracket 11. The bracket 11 further comprises a base flange 14 having a plurality of apertures 15 defined therein for the reception of suitable fasteners or lag screws 16. As shown particularly in FIG. 1, the brackets 11 provide means for mounting the hanger bars 4, 4a on the ceiling joists 1 for pivotal swinging movements thereof about spaced generally parallel horizontal axes. It is noted that the hanger bars 4, 4a, as shown in the drawings, are mounted so that the plurality of clothes lines 17 carried thereby extend in generally parallel directions with respect to the ceiling joists 1. However, it should be obvious that the hanger bars 4, 4a may be suitably mounted so that the clothes lines thereof might extend generally normal to the ceiling joists 1 by inverting the brackets 11. The clothes lines 17 carried by the hanger bars 4, 4a are securely fastened to the intermediate portions 5 of the hanger bars 4, 4a by means of a plurality of hooks 18, as shown particularly in the drawings.

In accordance with this invention, releasable restraining means is provided in connection with one of the hanger bars 4, the same more specifically comprising an elongated flexible tie member or chain 19 one end of which is secured by means of a fastener 20 to the bottom surface 2 of the ceiling joist 1. The other end of the chain 19 is securely connected by means of a bolt 21 to a releasable snap fastener 22. The snap fastener 22 is adapted for engagement and disengagement with an egg-shaped ring 23 received on the connecting bar section 8 of the adjacent hanger bar 4. It is noted that the securement of the snap fastener 22 to the chain 19 by means of the bolt 21 is designed so as to provide for any adjustments therebetween which may be necessary so as to maintain the hanger bars 4, 4a in a generally depending vertical position shown by full lines in FIG. 1.

Another important feature of this inventon resides in the provision of flexible pull means attached to the other of the hanger bars 4a and adapted and arranged relative to the ceiling joist 1 to move the cooperating hanger bars 4, 4a, upon release of the snap fastener 22, from the above noted generally vertical positions to retracted positions, as shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1, in relatively closely spaced relationship to the ceiling joists 1. The flexible pull means noted above comprises a pulley bracket, represented generally by the reference numeral 24, having a base flange adapted for securement to the bottom surface 2'of the ceiling joist 1 in outwardly spaced relation to the other of the hanger bars 4a. The pulley bracket 24 further comprises a back flange 26 and a pair of spaced generally parallel side flanges 27, the latter of which journal a spindle 28 on which is mounted a pulley wheel 29. As shown particularly in FIG. 2, the pulley wheel 29 is provided with an eccentric cam surface 30 positioned so as to bind the flexible pull member passing therethrough against the back flange 26 for stopping the m-ovement of the flexible pull member as may be desired. The flexible pull means noted above further comprises an elongated flexible cord or rope 31 or the like one end portion 32 of which is securely connected to an egg-shaped ring 33 carried by the connecting bar section 8 of the other hanger bar 4a. As shown particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2, an intermediate portion of the rope 31 is entrained around the pulley wheel 29, and an enlarged stop member 34 is secured adjacent the other end portion of the rope 31 and position so as to limit movement of the hanger bars 4, 4a to their said generally vertical positions upon movement thereto from their above noted retracted positions.

An alternative embodiment of this invention is shown particularly in FIG. 5, wherein it will be noted that the hanger bars 4a are constructed in a non-adjustable manner wherein the same comprise tubular end portions 6' and a straight tubular intermediate portion 35 all of which is preferably formed from a single piece of tubular stock. It should be noted that the alternative embodiment of this invention shown in FIG. 5 and described above corresponds in all respects not specifically enumerated to the embodiment of this invention shown in FIGS. 1-4, and the parts or elements of the alternative embodiment which correspond to like parts or elements in FIGS. 1-4 are denoted by the use of the same reference characters with prime marks added thereto.

This method has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory'for the accomplishment of the objects and advantages noted above; and while I have shown and described above a preferred embodiment thereof in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated, I wish it to be understood that the same may be modified without departure from the scope and spirit of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A retractable clothes line support adapted for securement to overhead supporting structure, said clothes line support comprising:

(a) a pair of cooperating generally U-shaped hanger bars each having an elongated generally horizontal intermediate portion and upturned opposite end portions, an aperture in each end portion, said elongated generally horizontal intermediate portion comprising:

(1) generally tubular end sections one each secured to a different one of said upturned end portions,

(2) an elongated connecting bar section having its opposite end portions telescopingly and adjusctlably received said tubular end sections,

(3) securement means for fixing said connecting bar section in different positions relative to the tubular end sections whereby to provide an adjustment for the Width of said hanger bars,

(12) mounting means mounting each of the upturned end portions of said hanger bars on said overhead supporting structure for pivotal swinging movements of said hanger bars about spaced generally parallel horizontal axes, said mounting means comprising an L-shaped bracket and an elongated spindle having a concentric spacing boss around the base thereon on one leg of the L for extending through the aperture in the upturned end portion to mount and space said end portion relative to said leg for swinging movement relative thereto,

(c) a plurality of laterally spaced clothes lines secured and extending between the intermediate portions of said hanger bars,

(d) an elongated flexible tie member releasably secured and extending between one of said hanger bars and said fixed supporting structure and adapted to maintainsaid hanger bars in generally depending vertical positions,

(0) flexible pull means attached to the other of said hanger bars and adapted and arranged relative to said fixed supporting structure to move said cooperating hanger bars upon the release of said restraining means from said generally vertical positions to retracted positions in relatively closely spaced relationship to said fixed supporting structure, and

(f) said flexible pull means comprising:

(1) a pulley secured to said fixed supporting structure in outwardly spaced relation to the other of said hanger bars,

(2) an elongated flexible pull member having one end thereof connected to the other of said hanger bars and an intermediate portion thereof entrained on said pulley, and V (3) an enlarged stop member secured adjacent the other end portion of said flexible pull member and positioned so as to limit movement of said hanger bars to their said generally vertical positions upon movement thereto from their said retracted positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 486,804 11/92 Wood 248-286 711,570 10/02 Hover 24-134 1,645,179 10/27 Bunyan 211-118 2,159,425 5/39 Davies 21l-119.15 2,312,803 3/43 Curtenius 211-118 2,436,477 2/48 Lewis 211-119.15 2,482,851 9/49 Jennewein 211-119.1 2,510,547 6/50 Bruce 211119.16 2,645,358 7/53 Moore 2l1-119.1

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

